Ice crunching
by SSA Javier Grey P.I
Summary: Minamino Shuiichi should really be a bit more self-conscious, especially with what he puts in his mouth. KuramaxOC.


**Author's Ramble: Hey guys! So to whoever is madly in love with Kurama-sama yet loves seeing him as sweet Minamino Shuiichi, this is what you are looking for! Got the idea after talking about M-Rated Hitalia fics with my best friend. Please enjoy and review. Though I don't know why I still bother since most don't even bother to read the author's note.**

**Summary: Minamino Shuiichi should really be a bit more self-concious, especially with what he puts in his mouth. Not pervy, a drop of lime, KuramaxOC.  
**

* * *

_Crunch, crunch, crunch_

Katada Mai sipped her orange juice daintily. Sixteen with long raven locks held back neatly in a white clamp, she clutched her Biology textbook tightly. Her cerulean eyes, unhindered by any pair of spectacles you would assume accompanied a young woman of her intellect, fixated on the sight in front of her. She never followed stereotypes anyway. Yet one part of the 'good little schoolgirl' she was, the very thing she prided herself on, was the ability to focus, to ignore distractions. That included parties, bars... and _boys._ So_ why_ was she staring at one?

_Crunch, crunch, crunch_

Minamino Shuiichi, or better known as Kurama, bit down a little harder, crunching his own tongue along with the tiny cube of ice in his mouth. He gasped, more out of surprise than pain.

"Kurama are you alright?" Kuwabara asked, dotted irises blinked in concern.

"Ah... Yes I'm fine. It seems I have bitten my tongue. No harm done." Kurama smiled, putting another little block of ice in his mouth. It had become a sort of habit with him.

The gang, currently composed of highschool delinquent and detective Yuusuke, gingerhead Kuwabara, fire demon Hiei, fox thief and prodigy Kurama and aspiring psychologist Mai, loitered in front of the Caramel Topp, a local coffee shop. It was a rare day where no battles needed to be fought, no souls to be saved, no demons to kill. The gang was free to be just normal teenagers... for the time being. Things don't stay quiet for long.

"Oh, 13!" Yuusuke volunteered, biting into his chocolate doughnut.

"Excuse me?" Kurama questioned, confusion marring his delicate face.

"It's a kind of superstition Shuiichi. When you bite your tongue, someone has to give you a number between 1-26 and whatever letter is the equivalent of that number is the first letter of the name of someone who remembers you." Mai explained.

* * *

Shuiichi and Mai have been neighbors since first grade, and have been friends since second. It was at first a shock when she found out, after he saved her from a bunch of terrifying _things _when they were in fifth grade, that Minamino Shuiichi isn't all that he appears to be. Yet it explained a lot. His wisdom and knowledge, which Mai knew she could never compete with no matter how bright she was. His almost ethereal grace and charm. It was a sort not attainable by a human being, full of imperfections.

Yet Mai realized that it was a lonely life to live. No one to really talk to. No one to understand. And when her Shuiichi told her stories of his past life, it also explained his solitary lifestyle and calculating eyes. It was scary and cold and he had to do scary and cold things. Things necessary to survive, yet things he was now not proud of, even ashamed of. And when he raised a rose, a beautiful rose, perfection in its soft petals, its color not only of blood, but of the sun and sky and the clouds and wind, and he whispered he had to erase her memory, of what had just happened, of what she had found out, she hugged him. That moment she realized that she and Shuiichi were never really friends until that moment. She never really knew him. And when he hesitantly placed his own arm around her, she whispered: "You were so alone."

And that moment, she promised herself she would never leave him.

And though he didn't erase her memory, the next day went on like nothing had happened. She was still psychoanalyzing their classmates and he was still the great tactician. She was still wise and innocent and idealistic while he was still brilliant, polite and reserved. They still went to the library on weekends, he still loved his garden and she still had a love for animals. There was no cause to justify her calling him another name or acting a different way towards him. She believed that right now should matter not what had happened. He was still Shuiichi and she called him so. And he was thankful for that.

* * *

Still the innocent expression of incomprehension on Kurama's face made her smile.

"M. Whose name starting with M would be thinking of me?" Kurama asked.

"Your mother?" Kuwabara threw.

"Megure-sensei? He was impressed when you solved that Trigonometry problem." Yuusuke guessed, referring to the time Kurama came to their school on an emergency mission from Koenma. Forced to solve a terribly difficult problem, Kuwabara couldn't leave and after two seconds to take a look, Kurama took the chalk, scribbled his own answer and Yuusuke pulled Kuwabara out.

"How about Mai?" Hiei asked. They all looked at the raven-locked girl next to Kurama.

Mai almost jumped. A tiny blush painted her cheeks. Not only at the fact she_ was_ thinking about Shuiichi, nor at nearly being found out she was staring at him as he crunched through half a cup of ice cubes leftover his ice coffee, but because of _him._

Kuwabara was already citing why Hiei's claim was impossible, Kurama and Mai were already standing _right next to each other_. Yet Mai had something else on mind.

Shuiichi wore a white short-sleeved polo she got for him underneath his usual brown, leather, unzipped jacket, blue jeans and red sneakers. His vividly crimson locks splayed carelessly around him, a few strands brushing against her because of the wind. He smelled like coffee and roses. The sun was just setting over the horizon. The shop faced north and Shuiichi stood to her right, so the glow of the dropping sun on the west illuminated him from behind. But the worst part were his lips.

Usually already soft and pink, now they were velvet with a tinge closer to red. They had a tempting shine to them due to his ice-crunching. She knew he said something yet his cold breath against her pretty face knocked her hearing, along with her common sense and logical reasoning she supposed, out of her.

"E-Excuse me? What was that Shuiichi?"

"Huh? Oh I just said it seems to be getting late. I thought you had heard." He said.

"Oh I'm sorry it was just..." She scoured her brain for some excuse before-

"SHUIICHI! MAI!"

"I was staring there because I thought I saw your mother! Turns out I was right." Mai scratched her flaming cheek, thanking God for the stroke of luck while waving at Shiori-baachan. Kurama turned towards the setting sun. "We should be getting back home." He offered his hand out to take her cup. She hadn't notice it was empty, crushed both hers and his and threw them in a nearby trashcan.

"Well, we'll be heading back now." Kurama smiled before taking two bags of groceries hidden in a corner on top of the stairwell. His and hers.

Yuusuke stretched out on the concrete before jumping up, fist pumped in the air. "YOSH! I'll be going too! Take care!" He yelled, doubling back to remind the pack of tomorrow's mission.

Kuwabara greeted Kurama's mother before heading off too. Hiei disappeared long before that, just after he finished his ice cream.

* * *

"So did you have fun?" Shiori asked.

Shuiichi nodded and answered politely, just as perfectionist Minamino Shuiichi is supposed to be.

Mai however lacked her usual vitality. Today had been weird. She acted weird, and talked weird, even _felt_ weird. A good weird yet a slightly unwelcomed weird. But still a good weird. She'd down an aspirin and an Advil later. Maybe even some vitamin c chewables. She raised her head in an attempt to appear peppy as usual, only to see Shuiichi smile. It wasn't his usual polite little smile, but the sort of smile you would expect after seeing a beautiful sunset or finishing a wonderful story. Her heart thumped a bit faster and when the wind blew, his red locks flared, her heart thumped a lot faster.

Maybe she'd down a whole bottle just to be safe.

* * *

**Author's Ramble: Hey! By the way, who else has this habit? I just love ice! It's sort of a stress food to me actually, so I THOUGHT WHY NOT! Hot Kurama with ice. Though I know you surely won't read this, still want to thank you for sticking to this until the end. I think it's okay but I'd like your thoughts guys so review! Onegaishimasu!**


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